Decoder with Nilay Patel Breaking free from big tech and big content with authors Cory Doctorow and Rebecca Giblin
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Jan 10, 2023 
Cory Doctorow, a prolific author and tech advisor, joins Rebecca Giblin, a law professor and publishing house founder, for an engaging discussion on issues facing artists in today's digital landscape. They explore the barriers created by big tech companies and how these impact fair compensation for creators. The conversation covers the struggles of independent authors, the challenges of digital rights management, and the monopolistic practices in the music industry. Together, they propose actionable solutions for a more equitable creative economy.
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Twitch and Amazon's Chokepoint
- Amazon bought Twitch, promising synergies and then offered a 70/30 split to some creators.
- After achieving market dominance, they reduced the split to 50/50, justifying it with high AWS costs, but big companies rarely pay listed prices.
Audiblegate Scandal
- Audible's generous returns policy, while beneficial for subscribers, forces authors to pay back royalties, resulting in significant losses.
- This "Audiblegate" scandal, revealed by a data glitch, highlights the exploitation of creators within Amazon's ecosystem.
Music Industry as a Leading Indicator
- Music industry issues often precede similar problems in other creative sectors by several years. The trend of streaming, DRM, and consolidation started with music and spread to other formats like books and video.
